It is well known to provide a vehicle body roof panel having a roof opening which is selectively opened and closed by a metal or glass closure panel. Such closure panels are conventionally operated by a track assembly which moves the closure panel fore and aft between a closed position and an open position.
A preferred closure panel operating mechanism disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,531, Koral et al, issued Sept. 21, 1976, raises the closure panel vertically against a downwardly facing roof flange defining the roof opening so that a seal is vertically compressed between the closure panel and the flange to provide a water-tight occupant compartment.
Another type of prior art sunroof provides a closure panel operating mechanism which pivotally raises the rear portion of the closure panel from the closed position to a ventilator position as well as bodily moving the closure panel fore and aft between open and closed positions. A shortcoming of the sliding sunroof ventilator construction is the difficulty of providing a watertight seal between the closure panel and the roof panel edges while still permitting articulation of the closure panel between the ventilator position, the closed position, and the open position. Accordingly, a water channel and drain tubes are employed to capture and dispose of water which leaks past the seal.
It would be desirable to provide a vehicle body sunroof construction in which a vertically compressed seal is employed for optimum water tightness and yet the sunroof closure panel can be raised and lowered above and below the sunroof panel as desired to establish the sunroof panel in either an angularly raised venting position, a closed position sealed to the roof panel or a longitudinally retracted open position.
A vehicle body sunroof according to this invention includes a vehicle body roof panel having a roof opening defined by a downward facing flange of the roof panel. A rectangular carrier frame, preferably of molded plastic, has an outer peripheral edge portion which underlies the downward facing body flange and an inner peripheral edge portion which faces upwardly into the roof opening and defines a sunroof opening in the carrier frame. A roof panel seal is mounted on the outer portion of the carrier frame and is adapted for vertically compressed sealing engagement with the downward facing body flange. A closure panel, preferably of glass, is smaller than the roof panel opening and has a peripheral edge portion adapted to overlie the inner portion of the carrier frame in sealing engagement with a closure panel seal mounted on the inner portion of the carrier frame. One end of the closure panel is connected to the carrier frame by a hinge and the other end is connected by a toggle linkage which selectively pivots the closure panel to a pivotally raised ventilator position or latches the closure panel in a closed position vertically compressing the closure panel seal. An operating mechanism including a track mounted on the body beneath the roof panel moves the carrier frame between a vertically raised closed position vertically compressing the seal vertically against the downward facing body flange and a stored position moved longitudinally of the roof opening so that the roof opening is opened for air communication with the outdoors.
The object, feature, and advantage of the invention resides in a sunroof carrier frame which seals against the underside of the vehicle body roof panel around the roof opening and a closure panel pivotally mounted on the carrier frame for movement between an angularly open ventilating position above the roof panel and a closed position in which the carrier frame and closure panel may be moved below and longitudinally of the roof opening to open the roof opening.
Another object, feature, and advantage of the invention resides in the provision of a sunroof carrier frame mounted for fore and aft sliding movement between open and closed positions and carrying an outer peripheral seal adapted for vertical compressive engagement with the roof panel around the roof panel opening and an inner peripheral seal portion adapted for compressing sealing engagement by a sunroof closure panel selectively movable between a closed position and an angularly raised ventilating position.